Dubbo boys run from Newcastle to Dubbo for Black Dog Foundation

"I pretty much said 'no' straight away because I thought it was a stupid idea," Mr Bridges told the Daily Liberal.

"Cameron was straight on board and it only took a week to convince me, and here we are."

On the morning of Friday, March 24, the trio ran into Dubbo, having raised over $10,000 for the Black Dog Institute.

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On Saturday, they will run the final leg of their journey to meet family and friends at Sandy Beach.

The boys aren't new to fundraising. All three grew - or cut - mullets for mental health last year. But this time the idea came from a place close to home.

"I've definitely struggled with my mental health for a long time and reaching out through family and friends, and with these two boys with me, I've got myself in a better spot," Mr Etcell said.

The trio began their run in Newcastle because Mr Etcell, who grew up in Dubbo, has relocated there. That was only a week ago - on Saturday, March 18.

They originally planned to have a caravan they could stay in along the way but this fell through, so it was a logistical feat to organise the run to ensure they ended up somewhere they could kip each night.

Sometimes, they ran their leg and had friends and family members drive them to where they would stay for the evening, only to drive them back the next day so they could pick up where they left off.

The three of them shared the running, relay-style, averaging about 20 kilometres each per day. The entire trip was around 380 kilometres and they stayed in Newcastle, Merriwa, Cassilis, Dunedoo and Dubbo. The final leg, from Dunedoo to Dubbo, was around 90 kilometres.

The boys had the weather on their side. Though they copped a small amount of sunburn, most of the days they ran were overcast and windy.

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Mr Longhurst said the biggest challenge was it was "physically demanding on the legs".

"We used a whole lot of Deep Heat, and some strapping tape, and at one point there we had some ice and cold water and were doing some cold plunges - that helped, and a lot of stretching as well," he said.

Their preparation consisted of gym sessions with Mr Bridges' brother, and running, stepping it up gradually.

"None of us had experience with long distance running. I think it became an idea following Ned Brockmann [who ran across Australia to raise money for homelessness]. It was something we thought, hey we can probably do this, and we gave it a shot and here we are," Mr Longhurst said.

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The trio want to raise awareness that "it ain't weak to speak" about mental health.

"One thing I've taken away personally is, if I were to do this by myself, it would be a lot more challenging. But the fact I've got my mates here makes it a whole lot easier. It's the same with mental health," Mr Longhurst said.

"If you've got two of your good mates, your family, friends, it makes everyone a whole lot easier and more enjoyable."

The boys said they would likely head back to where it all began, having a beer, to celebrate on Saturday night.

You can still donate to their fundraiser at www.teamblackdog.org.au/fundraisers/connoretcell